NEW YORK (AP) — Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele is urging New York City voters to oust Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel.
Steele appeared at a campaign rally in Harlem on Tuesday with Rangel’s GOP opponent, Michel Faulkner.
Faulkner is a minister and former professional football player. Steele calls him a strong representative of the “new” Republican Party.
Steele told supporters it’s time for the Grand Old Party to become the Great Opportunity Party to attract black voters in Harlem and elsewhere. Steele is the RNC’s first black chairman.
Rangel won a contested Democratic primary last month even though he’s fighting ethics charges in the House. He has acknowledged some ethical lapses but is heavily favored to win re-election in the Democratic district.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.